I've said it countless times, but I'll say it again: Sony's first party efforts are not to be taken lightly. The company, once accused of solely thriving on the 3rd party success of their console, is now putting every naysayer to shame. Sony is a force, a force not to be kindled with. Just this past summer they dropped blockbusters left and right, and they haven't run out of steam yet. ICO, Gran Turismo 3 and Twisted Metal: Black were just the start. Sony has just released F1 2001, and OKAGE: Shadow King, and will soon be shipping Frequency, Jak and Daxter, and of course, Kinetica. What is Kinetica you ask? Well, it may very well be one of the weirdest manifestations the racing genre has yet to witness.

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Those who've played Extreme G3 should look forward to similar eye-candy. The world of Kinetica is swarmed with lush backgrounds that are filled with rich detail. From what I've seen, Kinetica is a stunning piece of software that takes advantage of the PS2's hardware. Kinetica's engine pushes itself at a constant frame rate in order to maintain a desired sense of speed, and the game does a wonderful job at doing so. The rider detail is fascinating. Every character is composed of hundreds of polygons, and thanks to the superb texture detailing; the exoskeleton Kinetic gear wear looks absolutely wonderful. There's a lot of polish and chroming that really makes this lavish title look more futuristic. Course design, as you would expect, is nothing short of bliss. Loops, swirls, sudden-death drops, and several other track design inclusions will be presented to you as you soar through a track at speeds of 300KMH. Kinetica is a very trick oriented game. So throughout every race, expect to be dropped hundreds of feet in the air, which of course leaves you with time to pull off the sickest trick combo you can come up with.

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Kinetica, in essence is like a hybrid of Extreme G3, Wipeout and SSX. The G-factor and the track design is a sure cue from the XG franchise and Wipeout chain. To shed light on the SSX situation, allow me to point out that Kinetica requires quick trigger fingers, as it features a prime focus on pulling off tricks during races. You can do everything from a freefall trick -which puts the racer in a parachute position as he/she hurls down towards the ground- to midair cartwheels. Kinetica has many tricks that resemble one thing or another, whether it's a breakdance move, a two-hand stand or just a freefall, the amount of tricks in Kinetica is deep. There will be 12 tracks to choose from, all with their own unique environment and impressive track designs. The Kinetic suits allow those who wear them to reach intense speeds. The suits are exoskeletons with wheels on them that allow the racer to perform gravity defying stunts, throughout the 12 tracks. Expect a lot from Kinetica, it looks to be the title that may possibly give Extreme G3 a run for its money. Look for Kinetica this month.